Q: What is a Reverse Abdominoplasty?

Q: What is a Reverse Abdominoplasty? Is it a way to improve a tummy tuck? I am confused.

A: Good Question!! And it IS confusing!! A Reverse Abdominalplasty is a procedure that can be used to address slight to modest excess laxity of the upper pole of the abdomen -- that is the area between your belly button and your breasts. The idea is to place incisions under the bra line and remove some excess skin here causing some tightening in the upper abdomen. Reverse Abdominalplasty has limited usefulness as it will not address excess skin below your belly button and it will not address the spreading of the abdominal muscles so often present in women who have had children. It is also going to be a modest improvement compared to the dramatic improvement that one achieves with a standard abdominalplasty. As with most decisions in plastic surgery, it is a balance between limiting incisions and post operative recovery vs achieving the desired result. Hope this clarifies the difference. Google+